Boccia Canada – (Longueuil, QC) Athletes from across Canada will be gathering in Lonqueuil, Quebec to battle for a spot on the podium at the 2017 Canadian Boccia Championships. This weekend will see both experienced and rookie athletes hit the court with gold on their minds.

Boccia Canada Council Chair, Gary Vander Vies comments, “I am really excited about the 2017 Championships! I expect there will be many close matches. The calibre of our athletes has increased substantially over the last few years due to the hard work of the athletes and the coaches. This improvement in progress will be evident on the field of play.”

This year’s championships, hosted by the Association Québécoise de Sports pour Paralytiques Cérébraux, are taking things to the next level with the introduction of several new components. This will be the first national competition to implement rule changes that were made after the 2016 Paralympic Games and the competition has expanded to include a new division of players. In addition, for those who want to catch all the action but are not able to attend, the event will be live streamed on www.bocciacanada.ca so spectators won’t need to miss a minute of the action during all three days of competition.

“We continue to make considerable enhancements to the overall production quality of the Canadian Boccia Championships, and in doing so, we are taking the event to new heights,” stated Peter Leyser, Executive Director, Boccia Canada. “This year we have significantly expanded our efforts in the areas of traditional and social media, live webcasting, and more on-site Boccia Canada branding, all of which will greatly increase the overall experience for the athletes, officials, volunteers and supporters attending, plus those watching online.”

As part of Canada’s sesquicentennial year, Boccia Canada is excited to collaborate with the ParticipACTION 150 Play List, which recognizes 150 activities in Canada and challenges Canadians to get active. On Saturday March 18, members of the community can give boccia a shot from 10:00-3:00pm in the Playlist Zone. Prizes and giveaways will be available.  

With medals on the line in team, pairs and individual divisions, there will be plenty of action for spectators. Vander Vies concludes, “Be ready to grab the edge of your seat!”

Competition Site:
Centre Sportif Collège Edouard-Montpetit
260 rue de Gentilly Est
Longueuil
J4H 4A4
 
Dates:
Friday, March 17, 2017: Team and Pair Competition
Saturday, March 18, 2017: Individual Competition
Sunday, March 19, 2017: Individual Competition & Medal Ceremony

Attending Athletes
 

First Name	Last Name	Classification
Newfoundland
Lois	Martin	BC1
Stephen	Wescott	BC1
Krystin	Collins	BC2
Michael	Mercer	BC2
Hayley	Redmond	BC2
Nova Scotia
Jennica	Gagne	BC3
K. Michael	Smith	BC3
Quebec
Dorya	Belal	BC1
Josée	Lamothe	BC1
Éric	Lefebvre	BC1
Sylvain	Dupuis	BC2
Benoit	Ostiguy	BC2
Éric	Bussiére	BC3
Bruno	Garneau	BC3
Philippe	Lord	BC3
Iulian	Ciobanu	BC4
Marco	Dispaltro	BC4
Alison	Levine	BC4
Richard	Brochu	open
Nancy	Caldwell	open
Ariane	Dubuc	open
Wild Card
Alexandre	Ziegler	BC1
Dave	Richer	BC2
Giancarlo	Bizzarro	BC3
Samuel	Lafleur	BC3
Marylou	Martineau	BC3
Marianne	Paquet	BC3
Alexandre	Lemaire	BC4
Ontario
Jamie	McKee	BC1
Brock	Richardson	BC1
Keven	Smith-Worthylake	BC1
Adam	Dukovich	BC2
Tammy	McLeod	BC2
Clarence	Merrigan	BC3
Kevin	Shaw	BC3
Giovanni	De Sero	BC4
British Columbia
Chris	Halpen	BC1
Hanif	Mawji	BC1
Gabe	Wadham	BC1
Paul	Jalbert	BC2
Alison	Kabush	BC3
Caroline	Vietnieks	BC4

About Boccia Canada

Boccia Canada is the boccia delivery arm of the Canadian Cerebral Palsy Sports Association (CCPSA), the National Sport Organization for the Paralympic sport of boccia. Boccia Canada is focused on providing athletes and individuals of all ages and skill with the chance to play a unique Paralympic sport. CCPSA and its provincial partners cooperate as a proactive force to facilitate the development of equitable and fair sporting opportunities for athletes with cerebral palsy and related disabilities.

About boccia

Boccia is a Paralympic sport of precision and strategy similar to lawn bowling or curling, played by athletes with Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy and related disabilities. It is one of only two Paralympic sports that do not have an Olympic counterpart. Athletes compete in one of four sport classes based on their level and type of disability: BC1, BC2, BC3 and BC4. For more information on boccia, visit www.bocciacanada.ca.